HEAR NOW strives to reflect cultural equity, equality, and inclusiveness in the diversity of its composers, performers, outreach to its audiences and students, and the makeup of its board and staff. It strives to achieve equity and inclusiveness by reaching out in an Open Call to all composers in the area.
Eligibility: Open to Los Angeles area-based composers. Experimental works are encouraged. If you are writing contemporary, classical concert music, you live and work primarily in Los Angeles, and you have not had a work performed at the festival in the last three years, you are eligible to submit a work in one of the following categories:
Electroacoustic Music
In addition to the electronic element, 1-6 players can be used. The core ensemble for this concert consists of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion, though other instruments can be included as well.
Electronics can be live or fixed media. In addition to other materials, a detailed description of technical requirements must be provided with the application.
No more than 15 minutes in length
Vocal chamber music
Either solors, duets, or vocal group up to 8 members.
May be combined with instruments, up to 8 musicians total including vocal
No more than 15 minutes in length
Instrumental chamber music
All combinations of strings, woodwinds, and brass will be available. We will have a piano.
For 1 to 8 players.
No more than 15 minutes in length
Note: Submissions may have been performed before, and multi-movement works are acceptable.
PERFORMANCES:
Performing ensembles available include Lyris Quartet (founding ensemble of Hear Now), Brightwork Ensemble (ensemble-in-residence), HEX Vocal Ensemble (ensemble-in-residence -- up to 8 singers), plus other first-rate musicians in the Los Angeles area.
How to apply
STEP ONE: FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS please also fill out and submit the form linked here: https://forms.gle/REgwhBBYe8kk2Zme8
This form will collect the following information:
Title of your piece
Your contact info, including email, phone, and home address
Instrumentation
Duration
Any other (brief) information about the piece you would like to share (Will it be a premiere of any kind? Are there stand-alone movements that could be extracted? Recommended local musicians for difficult or thorny parts, etc.?)
(Optional) If you identify as a member of a historically underrepresented group (also including female, LGBTQ+), please indicate.
Please agree to the statements at the bottom, including: I agree to request and receive permission from all musicians performing my work for the Hear Now Music Festival before posting the recording publicly in any form.*
STEP TWO: Please send the following NO LATER THAN AUGUST 15, 2024 to [email protected]:
Please use the subject line: HEAR NOW 2025 SUBMISSION
ANONYMOUS Score in PDF format
ANONYMOUS mp3 audio samples (MIDI acceptable). Please send files which do not show composer/performer/album info when opened in iTunes. MP3 files without watermarks help us maintain anonymity. Please do not send links to recordings on websites such as SoundCloud, YouTube or your personal website. Please DO include the title of your piece.
For all submissions, make sure that these files are ANONYMOUS. Non-anonymous submissions cannot be considered.
Please send from your regular email so that the person who codes your submission can match it with your submission form. If your sound files are too large to be attached to an email please send them via Hightail, Dropbox, or a comparable file transfer service.
YOUR SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE COMPLETE UNTIL REQUIREMENTS OF BOTH STEPS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED. Both must be completed by the stated deadline.
If you have any questions, please contact artistic director Hugh Levick or general manager Heidi Lesemann at [email protected]
The review process is detailed on our website: http://www.hearnowmusicfestival.com/the-hear-now-music-festival-selection-process/
